Rock duster



Nov. ll, 1936.

A. J.. csuRNlz-:Y4 1,781,509

ROCK DUSTER Filed Nov.i .15., 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet l A. J. GURNEY ROCK DUSTER Filed NOV- 15, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 :JM/vento@ 17W www Nov. l1, 1930. A. .1. GURNEY 1,781,509

ROCK DUSTER Filed Nov. l5, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet ,gam y M @www A. J. GURNEY ROCK DUSTEH Nov. 11, 1930.

Filed NOV. l5, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 31a/vento Patented hier, 11, 193s@ narrar :rt-ier ALBERT J. GURNY, F CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR` TO THE AMERICAN MINE DOOR COMPANY, OF CANTON, OHO, A CORPORATION 0F OHIO l ROCK DUSTER Application filed November 15, 1927. Serial No. 233,407.

The invention relates to apparatus for spraying or spreading rock dust or the like in mine tunnels and similar places in order to cover or mix with the coal dust which or- 2 dinarily is deposited upon the floor, walls and ceiling of such tunnels, for the purpose of preventing explosion of this coal dust.

The object of the improvement is to provide an apparatus which may be carried upon a car or the like adapted to be moved in the tunnel, and the apparatus may comprise a hopper and a power driven feed mechanism for conveying powdered limestone or the like from the hopper to ablower which blowsthe i roel; dust from a nozzle, or hose, spraying the same upon theV ceiling and wallsof the tunnel and permitting a part of the dust to fall upon the floor thereof, thus covering or mixing with the coal dust which is deposited upon the walls and floor of the tunnel.

rllhe above and other objects may be attained by constructing the apparatus inthe manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved apparatus looking toward the forward end thereof; a j i Fig. 2, a perspective view of theinterior of the improved machine showing the hopper and feed mechanism; y

lig, 3, a longitudinal sectional view of the Jfeed end of the hopper and feedmechanism showing theblower and nozzle; l

y Fig. l, 'a transverse sectional View through the hopper and feed mechanism; i i

5, a side elevation of the nozzle and hose connection; showing the means for operating the valve therein; y a

`Fig. 6, a plansectionalview through the ll-shaped housing as on the line 6-6, Fig.

andi y y p y Fig. 7; a plan sectional view as on the line 757, Fig. 3 showing the U-shaped housing. Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings. i y

VA'lhe apparatus is designed to be` moved through a mine tunnel andthe like, and may be arranged to be conveyed upon a railroad track, by a locomotive or the like; and for this purpose may comprise the frame 1 upon Flanged wheels 5 may he mounted upon the axles and may be adjustably secured thereon and spaced as by the spacing collars 6 in order to accommodate the same to various gauges of track. These flanged wheels are adapted to run upon rails such as indi cated at 7.

A coupling device7 as shown at 8; may be provided upon each end of the frame, for the purpose of connecting the apparatus to a locomotive, and also for connecting one or more cars behind the apparatus, whereby an additional supply of rock dust may be carried `into the mine.

i A hopper may be built upon the frame comprising the front and rear end walls 9 and 10 respectively and the inwardly inclined side walls `11. This hopper may be filled with powdered limestone or the like and is provided with a conveyer mechanism for feeding this rock dust to the blower and nozzle and hose connection to be hereinafter de`- scribed. i

For the purpose of carrying the powdered rock dust forwardly, through the bottom of the hopper, and 'feeding it to the fan, and nozzle, and hose connection; a pair of conveyer screws `12` may be located in parallel relation in the bottom of the hopper.

A baille plate `13 may be provided over the exit ends of theconveyer screws, and a sliding valve 14 is arranged to simultaneously control the discharge ofdust from both conveyer screws. When the valve 14 is entirely closed, the rock dust `led forwardly by the conveyor screws will be permitted to circulate between the screws, passing backward between the screws and beneath the baille plate 13;` thus relieving pressure upon the closed valve and preventing the material from being wedged against the valve andbeing forced through the same, around the screws.

y This valve may be connected, as by the link 15 with an operating lever 16; extending through the outside of the front wall `of the hopper, and provided with a handle 16 located in position to be conveniently reached for operation.

As best shown in Fig. 4, each of the conveyer screws may belocatedin a trough 17, in the bottom of the hopper, whereby the rock dust will be fedk downward from each` of the inclined side walls 11 to the adjacent trough.

For thepurpose of preventing the rock dust from packing or-caking in the bottom of they hopper, .and in order to assist the conveyer screws in feeding the dust forward in the hopper, an agitating device may be provided.

Thisagitator may comprise the shaft 18 located slightly above the conveyer screws and parallel with and equally spaced from said conveyers.` Inclined pins or fingers 19 are provided upon said agitator shaft for continually agitating thefrock dust. This agitator shaft is preferably continuously rotated in the opposite direction to thatv of the conveyerV screws. f

The screw 20 of each conveyer shaftlterminates at the forward end of the hopper,

`while t-he shaftis continued through the opening'21, controlled by the. valve 14, and extends into a substantially lll-shaped housf Ving having the head portion22 which communicates with both of the -openings 21 and the leg portions 23, one of the conveyer screws being extended into each of said leg portions, andhaving a bearing at the forward endfof said housing as indicated at- 24.

Forward ofthe head portion of this U- shaped housing each conveyer shaft may be providedV with a short screw 25 andangular propeller blades 26 for the purposeof feeding the rock dustbackwardv to thecrosshead 22 y Y to this point, the angular Vpropellerblades 26 convey the material transversely into the fanchamber. As the'material passes into ythe fan chamber, it is brought immediately into the path of the air and is carried out through thefdischarge 'end of the fan chamber.

yThis fan; chamber 27 is mounted in front ofY the hopper` and containsthe rotary kfan 28arranged to'be driven as by the motor`29.

The fan chamber discharges into a forked or bifurcatedv connection 30 havingone branch 31 extending `upward and slightly forward.

to which is be ofthe and 3.

`attached a nozzle 32 which may general vdesign shown in Figs. 1

' This nozzle, as illustrated in these figures dust, of course, dropping upon the floor of the tunnel,thus covering kor mixing with the coal dust suiiiciently to prevent explosion Vof the same. e By' constricting the mouth of the nozzle at its central portion, the rock dust will be dis-y charged substantially uniformly from all parts of tleinouth.H Vlit. will be evident that the blast of airl from 'the' blower will naturallyissue from thecentral portion of the nozzle mouth, and if this central'p'ortion of the mouthis the lsame width as the end portions, veryy little of the dust would be blown from the ends of the mouth upon'the side walls of the' tunnel. The bolt 33.al may be operated to adjust the 'center of themouth in accordance with the air blast.

The second branch 34ofthe bifurcated connection extends forwardly yof the nozzle and a hose 34a-may be connected to the 4same to convey the rock dust to any point-away from the apparatus,' beingy particularly adapted for spraying holesin theiwagls and ceiling of the tunnel. f Y

Forjsprayingv rock dust in a tunnel leading on' at anangle from the one in which the apparatus may-be located,-a large hose may be substituted for the nozzle 3 2, upon the branch 31 of the'connection.

. For the purpose of blowing the lrock dust through either one of the passages 31 or 34, ya valve 35 may be located in thebifurcated connection and arranged to shut off either branch thereof as shown in full lines and dotted lines in'Fig. 3. In order to make this valve airtight, a iiexible binding35a may be provided around'its edges.

' For the purpose of operating the valve 35, d Y

a lever 60 maybe Xed upon the outer end of l the shaft 61 of the valve. have the handle portion 62 end portion 63, pivotally connected to a rod 64'whic'h`is'slidably located through the pivotedbracketf L .f

A spring 66inay be interposedbetween this This lever may pivoted bracket and thehead 67 of therod,V

whereby as the handle is moved toward either position the springwillthrow the lever over center to the limit of its movement, Ythus securely holding yhe valve in veither position to which it is moved Y Any ysuitable power means f (not shown) and the opposite Y maybe provided for driving the screw conveyers 12 and thel agitator shaft 18, and any suitable gearing (not shown) be (interposed ,between the motor, 'screw conveyers,,andagitator shaft, for continuously rotating the agitator shaft in vone vdirection andy both of the conveyer screws may s niso `inl a direction opposite to the rotation of the agitator shaft as shown by the arrows in Fig. fl. Thus, the rock dust is prevented from packing or calring in the bottom of the hopper, and the agitator cooperates with and assists the conveyer screws in uniformly feeding material forward in the hopper to the blower. VReferring to Figs. 3, 6 and 7 of the drawings, the conveyers l2 terminate at points located at each side of the periphery of the blower 27, there being a transverse communication between the end portion of each conveyer and the periphery of the blower.

I claim:

l. Conveyor blower apparatus including a hopper, longitudinal troughs in the bottom of the hopper, a blower communicating with the hopper, a. discharge connection communicating with the `blower, conveyer screws located in said troughs for feeding material from the hopper to the blower whereby the material will be blown from the discharge connection, an agitator shaft in the hopper located in a plane between the conveyer screws, and means for continuously rotating the agitator shaft in one direction and both the conveyer screws in a direction opposite to the rotation of the agitator shaft.

. 2. Conveyor blower apparatus including a hopper adapted tocontain rock dust, a transverse passage communicating with the hopper, a blower communicating with the central portion of said transversepassage, and conveyer screws in the hopper terminating at the end portions of the transverse passage, whereby rock dust is fed by the screws from the hopper to the transverse passage and packed therein to prevent back pressure from the blower from blowing the rock dust back into the hopper.

3. Conveyor blower apparatus including a hopper, a blower communicating with the hopper, a pair of spaced, parallel conveyer screws in the bottom of the hopper, for conveying dust from the hopper to the blower, a slide valve between the hopper and the blower, and a baffle plate over the discharge ends of the conveyer screws, whereby, when the valve is closed, the dust carried forward by the conveyer screws will circulate backward beneath the baflie plate and between the screws.

4. Conveyor blower apparatus including a hopper adapted to contain rock dust, a substantially U-shaped casing communicating with the hopper, a blower communicating with the central portion of the U-shaped casing, a pair of conveyer shafts in the hopper having their forward ends extended into the legs of said U-shaped casing, screws upon the shafts terminating at the forward ends of the hopper, and propeller blades upon the forward ends ofthe shafts for feeding dust backward in the legs ofthe U-shaped casing. 5. Conveyor blower apparatus including a blower, a conveyer located at each side of the periphery of the blower and a transverse communication between the end portion of each coveyer and the periphery of the blower.

`6. Conveyor blower apparatus including a blower, a conveyer located at each side of the periphery of the blower, a transverse communication between the end portion of each conveyer and the periphery of the blower and means for feeding material transversely through said communications from the conveyers to the blower.

7. Conveyor blower apparatus including a fan casing, a fan within the casing, a pair of parallel conveyer housings, one located upon each side of the fan casing, and a screw conveyer in each housing, the end portion of each housing communicating transversely with the fan casing.

8. Conveyor blower apparatus including a fan casing, a fan within the casing, a pair of parallel conveyer housings, one located upon each side of the fan casing, a screw conveyer in each housing, the end portion of each housing communicating transversely with the fan casing and means in each housing for conveying material through the transverse communication into the fan chamber.

In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ALBERT J. GURNEY. 

